


of french toast and honesty

by inthesummer



Series: Who We Are [4]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, cheesy fluff, domestic percico, just because i can
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-23 04:23:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4862978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inthesummer/pseuds/inthesummer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>in which Nico sleeps over at Percy's place and Percy thinks back on a lot of things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	of french toast and honesty

It is almost noon when Percy finally wakes up. He takes his time stretching and rubbing the residual sleepiness off his eyes and sighs contently -- it has been a while since he last had such a peaceful sleep. Which reminds him… He scoots closer to the edge of his bed, and frowns slightly when he only finds some neatly folded comforters with a pillow on top on the floor.

He went to bed pretty late last night after getting so caught up in the game he was playing. It was probably somewhere past three when he finally lay down and was about to doze off, only to jerk awake moments later as he heard a soft thud coming from the dark corner of his room, next to the window. For a friction of second he was alarmed, one arm already reaching for his Riptide, but then he recognized the familiar presence and relaxed almost instantly.

"Hey Nico," he greeted without even bothering to lift his head off the pillow. The son of Hades stepped out of the shadow with an apologetic smile on his face, but Percy was quick to brush it off before Nico could say anything. He listened as Nico moved about his bedroom quietly taking off his jacket and setting up his makeshift bed on the floor, and the last thing Percy remembered before falling asleep smiling was Nico's whispered _good night, Percy_.

He rolls on his back and stares at the ceiling, wondering when exactly he started to get used to having Nico coming over unannounced from time to time like this. If someone had told him a couple of years back that he would get on such term with Nico, where the latter trusted him enough to drop by at his place and they could actually be completely at ease around one another, Percy would've probably shaken his head and laughed it off. With everything that had gone down between them, it had seemed too good to be true.

_And yet here we are now_ , Percy muses.

Of course it started out rather awkwardly. During the first few times, Nico always had his explanation ready - _I'm so sorry Percy but it's nearer than the Camp, I was just around the neighborhood, it's not a good time to be in the underworld, etc etc_ \- and he looked as if he expected to be turned down anytime. Percy was honestly more than a little surprised by the sudden visit, but he didn't mind at all and told the younger demigod as much. Nico stopped offering excuses since.

Each time, Nico would insist that he take the floor although Percy has told him that his bed was big enough so they could share it (Nico choked on the chocolate milk he was drinking when Percy said this). But Nico is nothing if not persistent (and perhaps a little stubborn), so Percy soon gave up and just made sure the other always had the fluffiest set of comforters so that he wouldn't suffer from a crick on his back the next morning.

Percy has also tried to convince Nico that it's _most definitely_ okay for him to sleep in, especially since Nico tends to show up at such ungodly hours. But Nico, being his persistent-and-a-little-stubborn self, argued that it'd seem rude to Sally and Paul who have been so kind to welcome him to stay. Percy just rolled his eyes then, but secretly thought it was somewhat endearing.

He chuckles. _Endearing_ is probably not a word anyone else would use to describe a certain Nico di Angelo. But then again, Nico doesn't drop by and ask to stay at just anyone's place, so chances are slim that anyone else would ever know this side of him.

It doesn't escape Percy how his heart swells at the mere idea of being an exception.

Feeling even more pleased than when he woke up just a moment earlier, Percy decides it's time to start the day. So he pushes himself off the bed, walks out of his room and into the living room, just in time to find Nico with a plate of what looks like stacked French toast slices - warm and thick and golden brown _perfect_ \- in his hand.

Percy stops in his track and blinks, mouth agape as he tries to take in what he is seeing.

Now, Percy knows that whenever Nico insists on waking up early because he believes, stubbornly, that he needs to earn his stay here -- which means making himself useful to either Sally or Paul or both by helping with preparing breakfast or whatever else they need assistance in. Percy thinks it's ridiculous, but he also understands that it helps making Nico feel more comfortable being here, so he always lets him be.

And Nico just can't look more comfortable, the _being at home_ kind of comfortable, than he does now, padding across the living room to place the plate on the coffee table with such an open smile on his face.

It's definitely ridiculous, Percy decides, the whole thing is. It's kind of absurd and makes no sense -- and yet, it's happening, and gods does it feel _right_.

"It smells fabulous."

Nico seems to be startled, and when he looks over his shoulder, the easy smile that Percy saw just moments ago has turned wary and he seems rather flushed, too.

"Hey Percy. Was wondering if I should wake you up," Nico says, plopping down on the couch. Percy walks over and sits next to him.

"Mom and Paul?"

"They left a while ago. Didn't tell me where they're going, but she said they'd be back for dinner."

"Hmm," Percy says noncommittally, still eyeing the toast in front of him like it's the most fascinating thing in the world. He can feel Nico shifting uncomfortably, as if the other is trying to put as much distance between them as possible. "So, you made these?"

Nico shrugs. "Your mom taught me how," he says nonchalantly, hides his eyes under his hair when Percy glances at him. "It sounded so easy when she told me, but I still managed to burn the edges."

"Didn't even notice 'til you pointed it out," Percy says matter-of-factly, grinning as he catches Nico trying to hide his smile. He returns his attention to the toast, grabs a slice in his hand and finally takes his first bite.

The toasted bread tastes unbelievably good, especially by someone who has just made it for the first time, but rather than filling him with happiness - as everything delicious always does - it's making him feel foolish.

Slowly chewing the moist cushion of bread, Percy thinks back on this unlikely friendship/companionship/whatever-ship he has built with Nico over the latter's sporadic visits in the past years. He meant it when he said he didn't mind having Nico dropping by now and again.

What he never tells Nico, however, is that not only he has gotten used to it, but he also has come to _look forward_ to it.

It actually dawned on him some time ago, but Percy has since tried his hardest to put rational reasons to it: he has always been protective of Nico, especially since Bianca's death, so he likes having Nico around because it means he can keep an eye on the younger boy; he always sleeps better whenever Nico is here because it means there's someone he can trust to watch his back if anything should happen -- the list goes on, and while they're not exactly lies, they aren't the entire truth either.

Percy smiles. He supposes it's only fitting that of all things, it's a slice of simple toast Nico has made for him - packed with genuine affection Percy knows Nico has for him but tries to hide - that finally gets him to be honest with himself.

And, most importantly, with Nico.

"I like you," Percy admits, happier than ever now that he has said it out loud. He chuckles, then repeats the words just because he can. "I like you a lot."

He feels rather than sees Nico gasp and tense up next to him, and when Percy turns to face him, Nico is staring at him like he can't believe what he's just heard. So Percy reaches out, gently touches Nico's face that feels warm against the palm of his hand, and says it one more time.

"I like you, Nico."

Nico's cheeks color and now he looks as if he can't quite decide whether he should laugh or cry.

But, suffice to say, it's the _most endearing_ Percy has ever seen him.

**Author's Note:**

> at this point, you should already know that everything i write is mostly self-indulgent. i hope the story is plausible. some cheesy, domestic percico fluff is all i want.


End file.
